1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a flight developer regulating member, a developing apparatus and a method of assembling a developing apparatus preferably used in an image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic type or an electrostatic recording type.
2. Related Background Art
There has heretofore been adopted a process cartridge method whereby an electrophotographic photosensitive member, charging means, developing means, cleaning means, etc. are integrally made into a cartridge, which is made detachably mountable on an image forming apparatus main body. By this cartridge method, operability is more improved and it becomes possible for a user himself to easily effect the maintenance of the above-mentioned process means and therefore, this cartridge method is widely used in image forming apparatuses of the electrophotographic type.
As a developing method in such a process cartridge, there is a developing method whereby a developer carrying member and an image bearing member are in non-contact with each other and an AC electric field (oscillating electric field) is given to between the two to thereby effect developing. This method causes a developer flying from the developer carrying member to adhere to an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member to thereby effect developing. In a case where the developer is thus caused to fly from the developer carrying member to the image bearing member, there has arisen the problem that even if a latent image which should be equal in density is formed on the moving image bearing member, more developer adheres to the rear end portion of the latent image. Thus, the density sometimes becomes high only on the rear end of the image, and in order to cope with a desire for a high quality of image required in recent years, a further improvement has come to be desired.
To solve this, there is known a method of providing a plate-shaped member in a developing area as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H08-22185.
The plate-shaped member, however, is disposed in a minute interstice between the developer carrying member and the image bearing member and therefore, the fore end thereof must be attached with high accuracy, and this has led to the problem that much time is required for assembly, and a further improvement has been necessary.